Methods and systems for providng technology-assisted content development

ABSTRACT

A computerized system and method for personalizing a document. In one embodiment, a user at a computer retrieves a first message comprising at least one change point from memory. A change point is a word or phrase which may be substituted for other words/phrases by a user to slightly alter a message or enhance its meaning. Once the message is retrieved, the user substitutes an alternate phrase for the change point to personalize the message. The present invention also includes a method for populating a database with personalized words and phrases. In operation, the system monitors a user&#39;s deletion and subsequent addition of text into a document. The system compares the deleted text with a change point stored in a database, and then associates the added text (if any) with a change point in the database if there is a change point entry in the database corresponding to the deleted text.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from the following U.S. ProvisionalApplication, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in itsentirety for all purposes: U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.60/286,991 to David Wolpe, entitled, “Technology-Assisted ContentDevelopment,” filed Apr. 30, 2001.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for organizing anddisplaying information, and more particularly, to computer-based methodsand apparatus for associative organization, processing and display ofinterrelated pieces of information.

BACKGROUND

The general-purpose digital computer is one of the most powerful andremarkable information processing tools ever invented. Indeed, theadvent of the digital computer, and the proliferation of a globaldigital information network known as the Internet, has thrust the worldheadlong into what is now recognized by many analysts as an “informationera” and an “information economy,” in which the ability to access andprocess information in an effective manner is one of the most importantforms of economic power.

The potential impact of the digital computer and the Internet oninformation distribution and processing is undeniably revolutionary.Yet, conventional software environments are generally organized aroundmetaphors and principles from earlier eras. Text-based operating systemslike Microsoft™ DOS essentially treat the computer as a giant filingcabinet containing documents and applications. A strictly hierarchicalfile directory provides a rigid, tree-like structure for this digitalfile cabinet. Individual documents are the “leaves” of this treehierarchy. The directory structure generally does not include or expressrelationships between leaves, and users generally access documents andapplications individually, using the directory structure. Even the nowubiquitous graphical “desktop” computing environment, popularized forpersonal computers by the Apple Macintosh™ and Microsoft Windows™operating systems simulates a traditional office environment. Individualdocuments and applications, represented by graphical icons, aredisplayed on the user's screen, to be accessed one-at-a-time. Onceagain, a strictly hierarchical, tree-like directory structure is imposedto organize the contents of the desktop.

Although the desktop and file cabinet metaphors have been commerciallysuccessful, the limitations and drawbacks of these traditional metaphorsbecome clear when one considers the strikingly different way in whichthe world's other powerful information processing machine—the humanbrain—organizes information. Instead of being confined and limited tostrictly hierarchical file directory structures, the human brain isthought to interconnect numerous pieces of information through flexible,non-hierarchical, associative networks. As those of skill and experiencein the art are aware, it is often clumsy for users of traditional, priorart operating system interfaces to process multiple pieces ofinformation if these pieces are contextually related in some way, butare stored in separate files and/or are associated with differentapplication programs. Too often, the prior art method of organizinginformation leads users to create documents that may contain one or morephrases or thoughts that will be useful in later documents. The userthen stores the documents in the prior art hierarchical categories onlyto forget the location and content of the key phrases soon after storingthe document in memory. Intended to assist users, traditionalhierarchical structures and “desktop” metaphors compel users to organizetheir thought processes around their computer software, instead of thereverse. The inadequacy of “real-world,” hierarchical metaphors forinformation management was recognized prior to the advent of thecomputer, but until now has not been successfully remedied.

Take the case in which a bankruptcy attorney who repeatedly creates andre-creates the same types of documents over and over again. When hewants to re-use one or more portions from one or more previousdocuments, he must remember the name of the old document and thelocation of the portion of interest. Under the current paradigm, thebankruptcy attorney retrieves the old documents, cuts relevant portionsfrom the old documents and then pastes them in the new document. As thenumber of historical documents grows, so too does the likelihood thatthe attorney will forget his favorite passages, their locations, orboth.

The recent deluge of digital information bombarding everyday computerusers from the Internet only heightens the need for a unified, simpleinformation management method which works in concert with naturalthought processes. Additionally, users' ready enthusiasm for the WorldWide Web graphical “hypertext” component of the Internet demonstratesthe appeal of associative, nonlinear data structures, in contrast to thelimiting structure of computerized desktop metaphors. And yet, prior artweb browsers and operating systems awkwardly compel users to navigatethe associative, non-dimensional structure of the World Wide Web usinglinear, or at best hierarchical user interfaces.

What is desired is an effective methodology for organizing, processingand displaying pieces of interrelated information using a digitalcomputer. The methodology should support flexible, associative networksof digital thoughts, and not be limited to strict, tree hierarchies asare conventional, prior art technologies. A related goal is to create anintuitive and accessible scheme for graphically representing similarideas, providing users with access to diverse types of information in amanner that maximizes retrieval speed of the information and minimizesuser interaction necessary for retrieval. The methodology shouldadditionally be optimized to enable users to seamlessly manage,navigate, and share the information both locally on digital informationdevices, as well as remotely via digital telecommunications networkssuch as local area networks, wide area networks, and public networkssuch as the Internet.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods consistent with the present invention satisfy theabove-described need by providing a computerized system and method forpersonalizing a document. In one embodiment, a user at a computerretrieves a first message comprising at least one change point frommemory. A change point is a point in the message at which a change mayoccur: a word or phrase may be substituted for other words/phrases by auser to alter a message or enhance its meaning. Once the message isretrieved, the user either selects an alternate phrase for the changepoint, or creates a new addition to the array of possibilities for thatchange point, to personalize the message. The present invention alsoincludes a method for populating a database with personalized words andphrases. In operation, the system monitors a user's deletion andsubsequent addition of text into a document. The system compares thedeleted text with a change point stored in a database, and thenassociates the added text (if any) with a change point in the databaseif there is a change point entry in the database corresponding to thedeleted text.

Additional benefits of the invention will be set forth in part in thedescription which follows, and in part will be obvious from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Thebenefits of the invention will be realized and attained by means of theelements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of thepresent invention and together with the description, serve to explainthe principles of the invention. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting an illustrative system in which thepresent invention may be practiced;

FIG. 2 is block diagram depicting components of a user/client computerconsistent with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting the operation and interfaces of anapplication program operating on a server consistent with one embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for adding change points to a textdocument consistent with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method for editing a document thatcontains change points;

FIG. 6 is a diagram depicting the operation of the present inventionconsistent with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a database interface for implementing contextrestrictions consistent with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a diagram of a dialog box for creating personalized messagesconsistent with one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram of FIG. 8 including a partially completed message.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment,reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part thereof,and in which is shown by way of illustration a specific embodiment inwhich the invention may be practiced. This embodiment is described insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention and it is to be understood that other embodiments may beutilized and that structural changes may be made without departing fromthe scope of the present invention. The following detailed descriptionis, therefore, not to be taken in a limited sense.

Turning first to the nomenclature of the specification, the detaileddescription which follows is represented largely in terms of processesand symbolic representations of operations performed by conventionalcomputer components, including a central processing unit (CPU), memorystorage devices for the CPU, and connected pixel-oriented displaydevices. These operations include the manipulation of data bits by theCPU and the maintenance of these bits within data structures residing inone or more of the memory storage devices. Such data structures impose aphysical organization upon the collection of data bits stored withincomputer memory and represent specific electrical or magnetic elements.These symbolic representations are the means used by those skilled inthe art of computer programming and computer construction to mosteffectively convey teachings and discoveries to others skilled in theart.

For the purposes of this discussion, a process is generally conceived tobe a sequence of computer-executed steps leading to a desired result.These steps generally require logical manipulations of physicalquantities. Usually, though not necessarily, these quantities take theform of electrical, magnetic, or optical signals capable of beingstored, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated. It isconventional for those skilled in the art to refer to these signals asbits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, objects, numbers,records, files or the like. It should be kept in mind, however, thatthese and similar terms should be associated with appropriate physicalquantities for computer operations, and that these terms are merelyconventional labels applied to physical quantities that exist within andduring operation of the computer.

It should also be understood that manipulations within the computer areoften referred to in terms such as adding, comparing, moving, etc. whichare often associated with manual operations performed by a humanoperator. It must be understood that no such involvement of a humanoperator is necessary or even desirable in the present invention. Theoperations described herein are machine operations performed inconjunction with a human operator or user who interacts with thecomputer. The machines used for performing the operation of the presentinvention include general purpose digital computers or other similarcomputing devices.

In addition, it should be understood that the programs, processes,methods, etc. described herein are not related or limited to anyparticular computer or apparatus. Rather, various types of generalpurpose machines may be used with programs constructed in accordancewith the teachings described herein. Similarly, it may proveadvantageous to construct specialized apparatus to perform the methodsteps described herein by way of dedicated computer systems withhard-wired logic or programs stored in nonvolatile memory, such as readonly memory.

The operating environment in which the present invention is usedencompasses general distributed computing systems wherein generalpurpose computers, workstations, or personal computers are connected viacommunication links of various types. In a client server arrangement,programs and data, many in the form of objects, are made available byvarious members of the system.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent likeelements throughout the several figures, the present invention will bedescribed.

FIG. 1 illustrates a data processing network 100 in which the presentinvention may be practiced. The data processing network 100 includes aplurality of individual networks, including LANs 42 and 44, each ofwhich includes a plurality of individual workstations 10. Alternatively,as those skilled in the art will appreciate, a LAN may comprise aplurality of intelligent workstations coupled to a host processor. LAN44 may be directly coupled to another LAN (not shown), a mainframe 54 ora gateway server 58. Gateway server 58 is preferably an individualcomputer or intelligent workstation that serves to indirectly link LAN42 to LAN 44. Data processing network 100 may also include multipleservers, such as a servers 46 and 54. Mainframe computers 46 and 54 maybe preferably coupled to the LAN 44 and LAN 42 by communications links48, 52 and 56. Mainframe computers 46 and 54 may also be coupled tostorage devices 50 and 60, respectively, which may serve as remotestorage for LANs 44 and 42, respectively. In one embodiment, storagedevice 50 may store records associated various on-line greeting cardformats and storage device 60 may store records associated with populartext phrases that may be integrated into on-line greeting cards.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the server 46 may belocated a great geographic distance from the LAN 44. Similarly, the LAN44 may be located a substantial distance from the LAN 42.

A system in accordance with the present invention, comprises a pluralityof workstations 10 and associated servers and mainframes. The serversmay be generally similar to the workstations 10 including a centralprocessing unit, display device, memory and operator input device.Moreover, it will be appreciated that workstation 10 may also performoperations described herein as being performed by a server, andsimilarly a server may also perform operations described herein as beingperformed by workstation 10. The distributed system may comprise any oneof a number of types of networks over which workstations and serverscommunicate, including LANs, wide area networks (WANs), the Internet andany other networks that distribute processing and share data among aplurality of nodes. All of these configurations, as well as theappropriate communications hardware and software, are known in the art.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed representation of a single user computerworkstation 10 as shown in FIG. 1. Workstation 10 includes amicroprocessor 12 and a bus 14 employed to connect and enablecommunication between the microprocessor 12 and the components of theworkstation 10 in accordance with known techniques. The workstation 10typically includes a user interface adapter 16, which connects themicroprocessor 12 via bus 14 to one or more interface devices, such as akeyboard 18, mouse 20, and/or other interface devices 22, which can beany user interface device, such as a touch sensitive screen, digitizedentry pad, etc. Bus 14 also connects a display device 24, such as an LCDscreen or monitor, to the microprocessor 12 via a display adapter 26.The bus 14 additionally connects the microprocessor 12 to memory 28 andlong-term storage 30 which can include a hard drive, diskette drive,tape drive, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 3, there is shown one embodiment of the presentinvention in the context of a word processor 300, such as Microsoft™Corporation's Word™. As shown, word processor 300 comprises various wordprocessing services 310 that a user may access to create and modify atext document 320. Word processing services 310 are accessible to theuser through a graphical user interface (GUI) 330 which providescontrols such as a conventionally known tool bar or menu structure bywhich the services 310 are activated. Word processing services 310 alsoare available through a macro language, or other automation facilitieswhich permit word processing services 310 to be controlled by a separateapplication program or from a macro with or without user interaction.Word processing services 310 include services that implement manyconventionally known word processing functions, including filing,printing, formatting, spell-checking, etc. Word processing services 310also include edit services 340, some of which are conventionally knownfunctions such as cut, paste, and copy functions. In addition, the editservices 340 include a find and replace editing tool 350.

Text document 320 may comprise a plurality of textual and non-textualcomponents, also called change points 360. Change points 360, as shownin FIG. 3, are depicted as underlined words in a sentence, but they maybe identified via any of a number of techniques (e.g., color, bold,italics, etc.) without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention. In one embodiment, change points 360 are ideas or themes thatmay be substituted for existing themes in a text document to alter themessage created in the document. In one embodiment, change points may bewords, phrases or scenes (or story elements) which may be substitutedfor other words/phrases/scenes by a user to alter the message conveyedby the sentence or story to enhance its meaning. In a second embodiment,change points may be embedded into other change points. For example, aword in a change point phrase may itself be a change point. In the caseof text, this means that a given phrase in a text document may beexchanged for other phrases. Change points 360 for a word or phrase may,for example, be synonymous with, a humorous version of, a personalizedversion of, or a more formal version of an existing word or phrase. Inone embodiment, candidate replacement phrases appear in a pop-up windowadjacent to the change point 360 when a user passes a cursor or othersymbol over or near the change point text.

Word processor 300, as further shown in FIG. 3, also interfaces with achange point software 370 to identify phrases that may be substituted atvarious change points 360 in text document 320. When a user enters textinto text document 320, change point software 370 implements functionsto compare text entered into text document 320 with words and phrasesstored in a change point phrase database 380. When a match is found,change point software 370 alters the appearance of the newly-inputtedtext to indicate that the text is a change point.

When a user operating the present invention retrieves a text document320 from memory 28, change point software 370 implements functions toretrieve a list of words and phrases associated with a change point 360and to display the list of words when the user passes the cursor overthe change point text. In response to a user request, change pointsoftware 370 is also adapted to substitute words and phrases stored inchange point phrase database 380 for words and phrases found in textdocument 320.

Change point phrase database 380 contains a plurality of change points360 with associated words and phrases related to the change points.Entries in change point phrase database 380 may also include a pluralityof weights with associated themes. For example, a phrase in change pointdatabase (e.g., “a bouquet of flowers”) may have one weight associatedwith a first theme (e.g., romance) and a second weight associated asecond theme (e.g., mystery). The weights may affect where (or even if)a change point appears in a list presented to a user. In one embodiment,change point phrase database 380 may be populated with a plurality ofchange points and associated words/phrases from dictionaries,thesauruses, and other publications. Change point phrase database 380may also be populated by “experts” (e.g., doctors, lawyers, engineers,photographers, fishermen, etc.) that supply the change points andassociations that may later be used by laypersons. As explained below,change point phrase database 380 may also be supplemented with words andphrases derived from user edits of text documents. In effect, changepoint phrase database 380 is an organized collection of the thoughts andexpressions conveyed in a plurality of documents. Users wishing toretrieve similar or related thoughts and expressions no longer areforced to recall a document's name that contains the thoughts, and needonly recall a related thought or idea.

The present invention may be implemented as a computer software program.This program will be used where software application(s) running on a Webserver respond to a user's manipulation of mouse 20 or other userinterface device, perform processing that results in alternate contentbeing identified and substituted in an existing document. According tothe present invention, the user's behavior when accessing theapplication(s) is monitored and recorded. The implementation of thelogic for performing the monitoring and recording function may beintegrated with the code of the server application, as one or moremodules (also referred to as code subroutines, or “objects” inobject-oriented programming) which are invoked during execution of theserver application. Alternatively, the logic may be implemented as aseparate utility program, which provides services that are accessed bythe server application. The implementation will typically execute on acomputer functioning as a Web server, where that Web server providesservices in response to requests from a client using a Web browserconnected to the Internet. Alternatively, the connection may be to acorporate intranet or extranet (that is, a network owned or managed bythe user's company or another company, respectively) of which the user'scomputer is a component, where this corporate intranet or extranetprovides services in a similar manner to the Internet. Use of the term“Internet” herein, when discussing processing associated with the user'srequest, includes processing that occurs in an intranet or extranet,unless otherwise stated. Client requests will typically be sent to thehost server using the HTTP protocol. However, because the presentinvention operates independently of the mechanism used to fetch thedata, other protocols such as FTP (File Transfer Protocol), Gopher,etc., may also be used without deviating from the inventive conceptsdefined herein.

In one embodiment, software programming code which embodies the presentinvention is accessed by microprocessor 12 (FIG. 2) of workstation 10from long-term storage media 30, 50 or 60, such as a CD-ROM drive orhard drive. In a client-server environment, such software programmingcode may be located in a storage location associated with a server. Thesoftware programming code may be embodied on any of a variety of knownmedia for use with a data processing system, such as a diskette, harddrive, or CD-ROM. The code may be distributed on such media, or may bedistributed to users from the memory or storage of one computer systemover a network of some type to other computer systems for use by usersof such other systems. The programming code may alternatively beembodied in memory 28, and accessed by microprocessor 12 using bus 14.The techniques and methods for embodying software programming code inmemory, on physical media, and/or distributing software code vianetworks are well known and will not be further discussed herein.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown a flowchart performed by the presentinvention in response to a user inputting text into a document. As shownin step 410, the process begins when a user at a client computer 10creates a document using word processing services 310. As the userenters text via word processor 310, change point software 370 compareseach inputted word and phrase to words and phrases stored in changepoint phrase database 380 (step 420). When a match is found, changepoint software 370 alters the appearance of the text to indicate that itis a change point (step 430). If a match is not found, change pointsoftware 370 adds the word or phrase to change point phrase database 380(step 440). If there are more inputs (step 450), processing flows tostep 420.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a flowchart depicting the stepsperformed by the present invention in response to a user modifying textin a previously saved document. As shown, processing begins when a userretrieves a stored document from memory (step 510). Change pointdatabase engine 370 monitors the user's placement of the cursor todetermine when the cursor is positioned adjacent to a change point 360(step 520). If the cursor is near a change point 360, change pointsoftware 370 retrieves the words and phrases that correspond to thechange point from change point phrase database 380 and then displays thewords and phrases in a pop-up window next to the cursor (step 530). In asecond embodiment, the present invention may instead display the wordsand phrases corresponding to a change point 360 in response to a user'sactivation of one or more buttons on mouse 20. Once the associated wordsand phrases have been identified, the user may then replace the changepoint 360 with one of the words and phrases displayed in the pop-upwindow (step 540). If the cursor is adjacent to a word that is not achange point, change point software 370 monitors the user's action todetermine whether the user would like to convert the word to a changepoint (step 550). In an exemplary embodiment, the user may indicate thisinterest by pressing one or more buttons on mouse 20. If the userindicates an interest in converting the word into a change point,processing flows to step 560 and the text is highlighted. Change pointsoftware 370 then converts the highlighted text into a change point(step 570) and then in step 580, stores the new change point in changepoint database 380. If the user has more editing to perform, processingflows to step 520, otherwise processing terminates.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown an example of the operation of thepresent invention as described in FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 6 a, auser starts with the phrase “This man called me up this morning.” Thewords “man” and “morning” are indicated as change points. Referring toFIG. 6 b, it is shown that when the user places the cursor over or nearthe word “man”, he sees a series of alternative words and phrases. Thelist of words and phrases may be ordered according to the weightsassociated with each change point. For example, if the theme or genre ofthe message (as selected by the user) is business-related, then“incredibly rude, prying, telemarketing hired gun” may appear very highon the list of possible change points. On the other hand, if the themeof the message is romantic, then “incredibly rude, prying, telemarketinghired gun” may appear much lower on the list because it is less likelyto be relevant and therefore selected. In some cases, the phrase may notappear on the list at all. If the theme of the message is humorous, then“incredibly rude, prying, telemarketing hired gun” may appear somewherebetween its location for business-related messages and romanticmessages. The point here is that change points are ideas that becomemore or less appropriate based on the theme of the underlying message.Stated another way, it is the surrounding elements that create contextand give meaning to an isolated phrase. In this example, the userselects “incredibly rude, prying, telemarketing hired gun”. In FIG. 6 c,it is shown that the phrase now reads “This incredibly rude, prying,telemarketing hired gun called me up this morning.” The user could also(or alternatively) select an alternate phrase for “morning” to furtheralter the message. One embodiment of the present invention may maintaina counter associated with each word and phrase stored in change pointphrase database 380 and then increment the counter whenever a userselects a particular word or phrase. In this way, system administratorsand users can identify the popular and unpopular words/phrases. Changepoint software may also provide users with a list of the popular changepoint phrases so that the user may make a selection based on popularityin combination with their personal preferences.

Instead of entering change points 360 from a menu, a user may inputchange points via keyboard 18. Using an advanced variation on theauto-expand technology, the present invention will allow users to starttyping words and phrases and automatically suggest the rest of the word.For example, suppose a person would like to send a message to hisgirlfriend. The message begins: “You make me feel so [change point].”When the cursor is located adjacent to the change point, the userdecides to type the word “fine”. He types “f” and the present inventionsuggests “fantastic”. He then types an “i” and the program suggests“filled with the white flame of your eternal love.” While this is notthe phrase the user had in mind, he likes it more than his choice, so heuses it. This same auto-expand feature may be used to implement apersonalized database for each user. For example, when a first usertypes “Ro” then the program might suggest the word “Rosemary,” the firstuser's wife's name. A second user may similarly type “Ro” and have theword “Robert” suggested (the second user's husband's name). In additionto these auto-expand applications, the user may be able to designatesubject areas which will also have sub-databases of suggestions. Forexample, if a user is working on contracts and he types “con,” theprogram might suggest “contract.” On the other hand, if the user isworking on an email to a friend, the program might suggest “concert”when faced with the same two letters.

In a second embodiment, the present invention may be used to quicklycreate and personalize text messages. For example, a user wishing tocreate a message in an online greeting card no longer needs to createthe message from scratch. With the present invention, the user mayanswer one or two simple questions (more if they desire) that would thenbe used to create a personalized message. The personalized message willconsist of a plurality of change points that were automatically selectedby change point software 370 such that the user's personalization ismaintained and a coherent theme conveyed. The present inventionmaintains coherency through a process of restriction. In other words,early user selections constrain or restrict subsequent selections. Therelationships between restrictions may be inputted by writers/editors orusers, or they may be automatically determined.

Referring now to FIG. 7, there is shown a sample interface 700 forimplementing restrictions in accordance with one embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown, interface 700 is comprised of a shortmessage 710 and a plurality of stacks 720 a-e, each comprised of aplurality of entries. Each stack 720 corresponds to a change point inmessage 710. Entries may initially be placed in each stack by expertsand then augmented by the users as they create new personalizedmessages. As shown in FIG. 7, some of the entries in stacks 720 areshaded and others are not. The shaded entries are context-specific suchthat if a shaded entry is selected by a user, then only other shadedentries from other stacks will appear and therefore be selectable by theuser. All entries remain valid in those stacks in which no entries areshaded. Also, more than one shaded entry may exist in each stack. Oncethe message is created, the user may then personalize the message bysubstituting change points 360 wherever desired.

Referring to FIG. 8, there is shown a dialog box 800 that may bepresented to a user to enable the user to create personalized messagesin accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Dialog box800 may contain selections 810: Occasion, Genre, Hobby/Interest andProfession; a plurality of input fields 820-830, and a plurality ofbuttons 840-870. In one embodiment, dialog box 800 contains input fieldsfor Name 820 and Recipient 830, and buttons for Rewrite 840, Gift Insert850, Send 860 and Spice it Up! 870. After a user selects one of thefollowing selections 810 using mouse 20, the following sub-menus mayappear: Occasion (Birthday, Anniversary, Graduation, Christmas, Easter,Consolation, Congratulations, etc.), Genre (Western, romantic comedy,Drama, Detective, Romance, Sci-Fi, Adventure, War, Children, Family,Historical, etc.), Hobby/Interest (Antiques, Art, Ceramics, Cooking,Exercise, Fashion, Fishing, Gardening, Music, Photography, Needlework,Pottery, Reading, Sewing, Sports, etc.), and Profession (ComputerProgrammer, Publisher, Attorney, Building Inspector, Roofer,Electrician, Painter, Doctor, Actor, Dancer, Musician, etc.). After theuser has selected one or more sub-menus, he then requests the creationof a new personalized message. In response, the present systemdetermines a message with change points to present to the user thatincorporates the concepts represented by the one or more submenus. Name820 and recipient 830 input fields are adapted to receive textcharacters indicative of a user name and an intended recipient's name.Rewrite button 840 allows the user to request a new message with orwithout also making new selections 710.

The short message displayed may be a message generated by a retailerthat creates a story around an item the retailer sells. The story mayalternatively be a humorous or fanciful story that revolves around theuser's selections. A user then enters his/her name in Name 820 buttonand the name of the person to whom the message is addressed inDestination 830. In one embodiment, when the user begins typing his/hername each letter is immediately displayed in the text of the message sothat the user can immediately see the dynamic relationship between hisentries and evolving story. From the inputted names, the present systemwill also automatically recognize the sex of the sender/recipient andadjust all personal and possessive pronouns accordingly. Also, if theearly part of the message refers to a golf game, for example, then thewriter/editor is given the opportunity to restrict later portions of themessage to golf, as well. In other words, if the user selects “You're abirdie,” or other golf-related phrase early in the message, then certainlater choices (such as those having to do with baseball, fly-fishing, orballet) may be eliminated from consideration. This ensures that themessage will make sense and be coherent.

The present invention also has the capability of inserting a hyperlinkto a gift into the message. For example, if the user would like to senda gift to the recipient of an online greeting card, he/she may do so bypressing the gift insert button 850. The user may then be routed to aretailer's online site to select and view a gift item. A link to thegift will then be placed in the message. When the recipient receives theonline greeting card, he/she can click on the hyperlink and then berouted to the retailer's site to view the gift that was purchased(possibly with the price removed). In this way, the present inventionroutes at least two users to a retailer's site. The retailer sitesselected may be random, user-selected, or dependent on pre-existingfinancial relationships with online retailers. Gift items may also becategorized in a database. For example, if the story provides that “Iopened up the plastic Easter egg and found this ring inside,” a user maybe able to select a gift change point and be presented with “theseearrings,” or “this brooch” as similarly sized/priced gift alternatives.A scarf would not be a suitable alternative nor would a necklace orankle bracelet. Valid gift items might be grouped by physical size,characteristics, price etc. If the story calls for the gift item to betossed into a room, the present invention may only select gift itemsthat were not breakable. A user selecting a gift for a recipient may doso based on knowledge the user has of the recipient's preferences forcertain gifts, or their wants and needs. The user, in essence, may beanalogized to an advertiser with specialized knowledge of a recipient'sgift preferences. If the gift is simply shown to the recipient by theuser (i.e., not sold to the user), it may be offered to the recipient byan online merchant who stocks the item.

The user may alter the change points 360 in the message, or he/she mayrequest a new message altogether by pressing rewrite button 840. Priorto transmitting the message to the intended recipient, the user may wishto “spice up” the message by changing the tone of the message. Forexample, the user may wish to change the message from “I like you” to “Ilove you”. Similarly the user may wish to change the message from “Ilike you” to “I hate you”. Either of these operations could be performedwith the Spice it Up! button 870. In a second embodiment, Spice it Up!button 870 may be a sliding bar which may be slid to the right and tothe left to increase and decrease the tone of a message. Once the useris satisfied with the message, he/she can transmit it to the intendedrecipient by pressing the Send button 860. With this embodiment of thepresent invention, a user no longer needs to choose a gift and thenchoose a card to go with the gift. Now the user has the opportunity tocreate a story that he believes the recipient will enjoy and integrate agift into the story.

Referring now to FIG. 9, there is shown a sample message that has beencreated. As shown, the user's name is “David” and the message isaddressed to “Henry”. The addressee's name as shown, is only partiallycompleted. This partial completion is reflected in the text of themessage, allowing the user to immediately see the dynamic relationshipbetween his entries and the evolving story. FIG. 9 also shows theprocess whereby a user may pass the cursor over a change point 360 andthen be presented with a pop-up window that contains alternate choicesto replace the existing text.

In one embodiment, the user may also be given the opportunity to selecta decorative cover for the online greeting card. For example, the usermay be presented with a plurality of decorative covers. The covers maydepict art scenes, historical scenes, comedic depictions, digitizedphotos provided by the user, etc. The present invention may compensatethe artist or owner of the art work whenever a user selects a scenecreated by the artist. Once the user is satisfied with the message andthe card, he/she simply presses the Send button 860 and the message istransmitted to the intended recipient. Instead of transmitting an onlinecard to an online user, the user may print the card out and send it tothe recipient using conventional mail or other methods of physicaldelivery.

In another exemplary embodiment, change point software 370 may monitoruser actions and edits to identify trends and possibly modify theprogram's operation. For example, when change point software 370 createsa personalized message, it does so by retrieving a collection ofrandomly selected allowable combinations of words or phrases. Oneembodiment may monitor user changes made to the automatically createddocument (including changes to the tone of the letter) to identify thenumber of times that the randomly generated document is changed. If therandomly-generated document is frequently changed, change point software370 may modify the method for selecting change points such thatdocuments generated in the future may require less user changes. Anotherembodiment may monitor and record the user ID of the user person makingchanges and the changes made such that a profile of the user may becreated and future documents may be created that require less changes.The user ID and user profile may be used to create targeted mailings. Inother words, if a user changes the tone of an automatically createdpersonalized message from neutral to humorous (or very angry), changepoint software 370 may generate an angry (or humorous) alternative tothe message and send it to the user as a further example of the systemcapabilities.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed, additional variations and modifications in that embodimentmay occur to those skilled in the art once they learn of the basicinventive concepts. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claimsshall be construed to include both the preferred embodiment and all suchvariations and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

From the foregoing description, it will be appreciated that the presentinvention provides an efficient system and method for providingreal-time merchandising information. The present invention has beendescribed in relation to particular embodiments which are intended inall respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Those skilledin the art will appreciate that many different combinations of hardwarewill be suitable for practicing the present invention. Many commerciallyavailable substitutes, each having somewhat different cost andperformance characteristics, exist for each of the components describedabove.

Although aspects of the present invention are described as being storedin memory, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects canalso be stored on or read from other types of computer-readable media,such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, orCD-ROMs; a carrier wave from the Internet; or other forms of RAM or ROM.Similarly, the method of the present invention may conveniently beimplemented in program modules that are based upon the flow charts inFIGS. 5-6. No particular programming language has been indicated forcarrying out the various procedures described above because it isconsidered that the operations, steps and procedures described above andillustrated in the accompanying drawings are sufficiently disclosed topermit one of ordinary skill in the art to practice the instantinvention. Moreover, there are many computers and operating systemswhich may be used in practicing the instant invention and therefore nodetailed computer program could be provided which would be applicable tothese many different systems. Each user of a particular computer will beaware of the language and tools which are most useful for that user'sneeds and purposes.

Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the artto which the present invention pertains without departing from itsspirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention isdefined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description.

1-21. (canceled)
 22. A computerized method for creating a document,comprising: presenting at least one question to a user, wherein said atleast one question elicits a subject matter for a personalized message;receiving at least one answer from the user, wherein the at least oneanswer identifies a desired subject matter for the message; andselecting at least one of a plurality of text messages in response tothe user's answer, wherein the at least one text message is apersonalized message in the desired subject matter.
 23. The method ofclaim 22, further comprising the step of displaying the at least oneselected text message.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein thepresenting step further comprises presenting a plurality of questions toa user, wherein each question elicits more specific subject matterinformation.
 25. The method of claim 22, wherein the selecting stepensures each of said plurality of text messages creates a coherentpersonalized message.
 26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:deleting the previously selected at least one of a plurality of textmessages; and selecting a new text message in response to a user requestto rewrite a message, wherein said new text message is a secondpersonalized message in the desired subject matter. 27-34. (canceled)35. A method for advertising an item to a recipient, comprising: sendinga message, by a user, to a recipient, wherein: the message includes anitem specially selected for the recipient by the user; the item is ahyperlink in the message; and the content of the message expresslyrelates to the item; and selecting the hyperlink, by the recipient,wherein the hyperlink reveals a depiction of the item. 36-38. (canceled)